Royal Fraud
by DarkBelieverAnge
Summary: brother and sister are forced apart when their parents are murdered. one flees the country and the other is forced to stay.the brother comes back with a prince, who has to marry a princess. he falls for a cook. rated T for safety. please r&r.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This is going to be a three-shot. Lol, hopefully it will be long. I had this idea of taking a break from writing, but well, things never happen the way you plan them too.**_

_**This story is a real AU. Hope you like it!!!**_

Royal Fraud

Tifa ran down the hallway with a huge tray in her hands. She was delivering breakfast to the princess before having to go back down to the kitchen and prepare more food for the banquet at the end of the day. She grimaced as she remembered her boss's look this morning. The woman had looked ready to kill. Everyone else in the kitchen was doing their work, but tifa was doing two times the normal work. Tifa still got yelled at for every mistake that went on in that kitchen. It didn't matter that she was personally preparing the princess's meals, or that she was rushing to complete everything. She had just smiled, like usual, and took the criticism with closed ears.

After all the arguments, she had left and was running to the princess's bedroom. She sighed and lightly knocked on the door. The princess came up and opened it hesitantly. Her brown hair was rumpled and her green eyes were glowing with happiness. Tifa bowed slightly and carried the tray in. she saw a man with blonde hair on the bed. Tifa bowed again and left.

"Tifa?" the princess asked.

"Yes, Princess Aerith," Tifa said gently. Aerith blushed a little.

"Please do not tell anyone," she said. Tifa nodded.

"You have my word, Princess," she said. Aerith nodded and closed the door. Tifa made her way back down to the kitchen.

"It's not fair!" one of the chefs proclaimed when he was working on his sandwiches. "The queen was the only one who could stop this man from corrupting everything! Now, the true princess is serving that man's daughter!"

"Well, we can't do anything about it," a scullery maid said. "The queen left us instructions to keep the true princess safe. Until her mother comes back, that's all we can do."

"Still ain't fair! She's the one who should be getting our adoration!" the chef shouted. One of the others pulled a knife out of his apron and shot it at the billboard in the back.

"We can't afford to lose her, so shut it!" he warned. "She's all that we have left from that family. Besides, the princess is fucking the captain of the guard!"

"She has every right to," said one of the castle gossips. "He sneaks into her room every night. They love each other."

"He loves her power," the head chef said. She tied her red hair back. Her golden eyes glowed with contempt. "If he knew who he truly was, he wouldn't be doing that."

"Well, he doesn't," one of the soups chefs said. He was sharpening his knives and smiling fondly at them. "He doesn't know because his parents wouldn't want him knowing. He's not the one destined for the real power anyway. His uncle handed him that rank as captain of the guard."

"I wish Angeal were here," one of the female chefs sighed. "He was always protecting her highness, but he was always here to help."

"He's coming back soon," the boss chef said. "He and Sephiroth are coming back soon."

"Really?" the gossip asked. The boss nodded. She smiled and threw a knife over her shoulder. It hit dead center of the throwing block. She smiled and got back to work.

Tifa came running down into the kitchen. She gasped for air as all the kitchen staff huddled around her.

"I saw a huge limo," she said. "I saw a man with waist long black hair get out and another with longer silver hair… they were both protecting someone else. The guy who got out last had black hair and blue eyes. They all got into a protective formation and another guy came out. He had red hair and green eyes." Everyone shifted their heads to the head chef.

"Angeal and Sephiroth have come home," she said. "So has Reno." She grinned and brought her two knives in their sheaths. She grinned wider as she looked at Tifa. "You are going to be in for a show." She motioned for all the cooks to start cooking. Each of them nodded and turned on all the fires. Everyone was cooking at double of what they usually did.

"What are you talking about, Kiara?" Tifa asked her. Kiara grinned at her and looked her straight in the eye.

"The moment that we all have been waiting for is upon us," she said. "We now have all the pieces in the same castle. It's time for you to fulfill your destiny." Tifa shook her head and went over to her cooking station. She pulled her hair back and put a bandana on. She started preparing appetizers.

Sephiroth stood in front of the palace that he had once called home. His little sister was somewhere in those walls. She would need his help, again. He sighed. The courtyard was surrounded by the castle from three sides. Four towers stood in the four cardinal directions. The two in the front were by the long gate and stood as a weapon of lookout for invasion. The two in the back were blocked with the castle. Sephiroth grimaced as he noticed the amber color that now graced the outside of the castle.

"I hate this place," he said. Angeal nodded. Zack looked at the both of them in confusion. Reno spit out of his mouth and just sneered.

"It's like being in a nightmare," he said. Sephiroth nodded. Angeal smiled cruelly.

"At least we can find the king and the queen this time," he said. Sephiroth nodded.

"I have to find my sister," he said. Reno nodded. Angeal gave a confirming nod of his head. Zack just scratched his head.

"Who's going to be the prince?" he asked. Sephiroth and Angeal looked directly at reno. Reno froze and shook his head wildly.

"The staff will recognize me in a heartbeat," he said frantically.

"They will keep their mouths shut," Angeal said. "Besides, we are the ones who need to be covert around the castle. And the real prince can't be discovered. Or else, it will be all of our heads." Zack nodded. Angeal glared at him. Zack glanced up and found himself staring into the brownest eyes he had ever seen. He stopped in mid-stride just to keep looking at them. Then, he saw the rest of her. She had long dark brown hair. She had a slim figure that was covered in cooking gear. She looked uncertain as she met his eyes, and when she saw Sephiroth, she fled. Zack turned and saw Sephiroth looking in the girl's direction. His gaze was intense.

"She's still here," he murmured. His gaze became tender as he set eyes on his long lost sister.

"Don't get sentimental on me now," Angeal said. Sephiroth nodded solemnly. He would corner her later, and tell her everything.

They went into the great hall and were escorted by one of many butlers to the throne room. There were balconies from the second floor surrounding the whole room. The throne room was at the center of the vast castle. The four original thrones were still there, for they couldn't be pulled away from the spots that the original four rulers had placed them. But, they were treated as relics now, and a wall was built around them. a lone throne stood in the center of the room. Sephiroth glared. It had not been like this fifteen years ago. Things had changed a lot. He couldn't believe how much. Sephiroth sighed silently.

The 'king' came up to them. He had graying hair and black eyes. His eyes widened when he saw Sephiroth and Angeal. Angeal nodded to him and bowed. Sephiroth bowed coldly. Zack bowed gracefully. Reno came up and offered him his hand. The king took the hand and shook it profusely. Zack started examining the surroundings. Sephiroth took in the secret door behind the throne. Angeal took in the two main passage ways, and the one that was behind them. He looked at Sephiroth, who just nodded.

"May I see your kitchen?" Sephiroth asked. The king nodded. Sephiroth dragged Zack with him to the kitchens.

They got down there and all the chefs were working. They were doing double time, actually. Sephiroth grinned as he saw Kiara barking out orders.

"Sam, get that fish going! Alex, get your head out of the clouds and do those salads! Tammy, get out of the scullery closet and become an assistant! Jack, stop groping yourself and get back to helping Tammy!" Kiara barked like the general that she proclaimed not to be. Everyone froze when they saw Sephiroth and Zack enter the kitchen. Tifa, who was in the way back, froze and dropped her dish. She wiped her hands on her apron and came to the front. She looked at Sephiroth for a long time and just stood there.

"Sephie… you took a long time getting here," she said. Sephiroth softened and brought her into his embrace. She cried into his shoulder.

"All right! Maxwell, cover Tifa's station! Everyone get back to work!" Kiara yelled. She looked directly at Zack. "You cut vegetables well?"

"Sephiroth said I got potential," he said. Kiara nodded and handed him a knife. She started shoving vegetables his way.

"A centimeter apart, do you hear me? Anymore or less than that, I'm going to hang you," she said. He quickly nodded and started chopping. He did the technique that Sephiroth had taught him. He was chopping the vegetables and looking at Sephiroth and the girl that he had been crushing on whisper to each other.

"Who's she?" he asked Kiara. Kiara grinned and gave him more vegetables.

"She's Tifa," Kiara said and looked at all of the final products of the dishes before sending them off to the warmer for later. She sighed and began telling him the tale of the two siblings.

"There was a family about fifteen years ago that ruled the kingdom. They were direct descendants of the original kings and queens of Old. The Old ways of life are lost, except to us native people. We had them handed down in traditional ceremonies… but back to the topic on hand.

"The Kings and Queens ruled a different cardinal direction. That's why there are four thrones in the main throne room. They've been sealed off because of this new so called king…

"The coup was about fifteen years ago. The chancellor was planning everything. He saw how the King and Queen ruled the kingdom in peace. He wanted them to be terminated. He wanted all of the power for himself. You see, the chancellor's position was in name only. The king and queen didn't trust him as far as they could throw him. The king had a fair and just mind. Even though he was intimidating with his silver hair and his silver eyes, he was a good man. His wife was kind and gentle to all that knew her. She had the heart of the people. She had long dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. She was one of the world's best diplomats… but back to the story.

"It all began the night of the Red Moon. The chancellor had some stupid crime made up and made the guards arrest the king and queen. Before he could do so, the king and queen made sure that the children were separated and safe… one stayed and the other went south. They had to be separated. They were the heirs to the kingdom," Kiara said, pointing to Sephiroth and Tifa. "He's older than her, so if you get any funny ideas, he's probably going to shoot you." Kiara gave him more vegetables. Zack looked longingly at Tifa.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him urgently. He shrugged carelessly. She smiled as he hugged her again.

"I couldn't leave you to fight the battle alone. It's not right that you're here and I'm off somewhere fighting another country's wars…" he paused. "We came here to have the Prince get married to the Princess…"

"Yeah," Tifa said. She grinned and let him go. "I'll see you later. There's going to be a party tonight to celebrate the Prince coming to see Princess Aerith and everything. I'll tell you everything then." Sephiroth nodded and watched her go back to her station. She washed her hands and began working. He grimaced as he realized that she shouldn't be living this kind of life.

"She's good at what she does," Kiara said to him. Sephiroth looked down at her and frowned. "She's not like any other noble. She's gifted. She's got so much potential, if only she'd let people see her true self. She won't let anyone know who her parents were, because it could get her arrested. She's had to hide everything. Except her looks. She said that her mother gave them to her and that she was damned proud to have them. but, she's been living in a shadow ever since that night."

Sephiroth only nodded and started remembering what happened on the night of the coup.

_**A/N: Well, I'm going to leave you a cliffhanger. But, I thought to make Sephiroth and Tifa brother and sister, which is a little unusual. Cold and calculating meet warm and kind… hm. But, anyways, the whole next chapter will be their different upbringings, and it will explain a lot more. **_

_**p.s. there's an awesome story to read:**_

_**1. **__**Knight in Shining Armor**__** by Valentine'sNinja**_

_**2. **__**Splintered Dreams **__** by Fairheartstrife**_

_**And finally:**_

_**3. **__**Anywhere**__** by Alialka**_

_**They are all great Zack and Tifa stories, so most people will probably read them, but they deserve to be read more than once. AND:**_

_**Whatever It Takes **__**by fangirlgeek is an awesome story!! It's funny and extremely well written. If you're taking the time to read mine, read theirs too b/c they are awesome writers!**_

_**`Til next time!**_

_**DarkBelieverAnge**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Now, to the second chapter! =)**_

_It was thundering. The guards were securing the gates for the night. All of the servants rushed around making sure that every exit was closed. Two small children stood in the middle of the library, one crying at the loud cracks of thunder. The brother had his arms around his little sister trying to protect her from everything that was bad in the world. A young woman with short brown hair and brown eyes came running into the library. She took her son's hand and made him run with her. _

"_Mommy! Where are we going?" he asked her. She didn't say anything and didn't look behind her. She just kept running. They came to one of the southern walls and she looked around everywhere. She smiled sadly when she gazed at her two children._

"_I love you both," she said. She took her little girl in her arms. The little girl was her exact image. She looked down at her son. "Go down that path and keep running. No matter what, keep running south. Do not look back." She pushed him forward and smiled at him tenderly. He looked at his trembling little sister._

"_What about Tifa?" he asked. His mother shook her head and looked him right in the eye._

"_She'll be alright," she said. He nodded and began running. He ran until he was outside of the castle and his father's most trusted men were there to escort him to safety._

_They didn't stop for weeks. They kept moving. They only stopped to fill the cars for gas. The men were exhausted by the time that they got to the Southern kingdom. The captain of the guard came forward and presented the boy. He and the other guards began talking to the officials in some foreign language. There was another boy there. He had brown hair and hazel eyes. He nodded at the boy and then smiled. That was how Sephiroth met Angeal. Genesis came next. He would be Sephiroth's training partner when they recruited together. The three of them would serve the Southern kingdom proudly._

_Sephiroth never forgot, though. He never forgot the reason why he was there. He would listen for information on the central kingdom. He learned that the king was subjected to murder. There were other rumors that he had just been put into a prison beneath the castle. The queen had escaped and was looking for help anywhere. She wasn't seen though, so many assumed that she had been murdered. The princess, though, was another story. There were hundreds of rumors saying that she had been murdered in the slowest way possible. She had been tortured for the new king's enjoyment. Sephiroth turned his ears away from those rumors. He knew, somewhere in his gut, that she was alive and well. He just had to find her._

Tifa sighed as she began the five hundredth sandwich. Everything was extravagant. Just like the nobles themselves, Tifa mused to herself. She smiled and started on her five hundred first sandwich when a maid came into the room. She ran to Tifa and she was crying. Tifa wiped her hands on her apron and put them on her hips.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Then, Tifa noticed the red marks on her neck and her rumpled hair. Tifa sighed and let all of the anger out. She looked around for her assistant.

"Michael!" she yelled. He popped his head up out of one of his books. "Take over for me!"

"Kiara will kill you," one of the other cooks muttered. Tifa ignored him and brought the maid to behind her station. She took out some salve that was in her station and began applying it to the visible parts on the girl. She didn't say anything as the girl fixed her hair. It wasn't until the girl looked up at her that Tifa smiled reassuringly.

"I can't say that you will be fine right away," she said. The girl tensed up. "But you will survive. That's all you can do. Don't worry; I'll have you transferred to work down here. I'll make one of the men work as his valet." The girl wept in gratitude. "You can stay here for the rest of the day." Tifa smiled and got up. She was about to go up to administration when Kiara stepped in her way.

"Who is it now?" she asked. Tifa took a deep breath. She clenched her fists.

"The girl is only fifteen," she said. Kiara took in a sharp breath and her eyes glowed. She nodded and Tifa ran up the stairs. She went down into the library. Sephiroth saw her and she motioned him to remain seating. She went into the back, pressed a button on the wall, and went into the administration the back way. She went down a flight of stairs and opened the door. She went right to the employer's office and slammed the door open. She glared at the woman on top of the director's lap, but she scurried away.

"Rude, I have to talk to you," she said. She let him get his shirt straightened and his sunglasses back on.

"What do you want, Tifa?" he asked. Tifa took a deep breath.

"Another girl was raped," she said. "Get him a gay valet now. I don't care if he's the king or not. He doesn't deserve to live when he has raped at least three women this month alone." Rude gasped and nodded. He started dialing the phone and looked at Tifa.

"I'm sorry, Tifa," he said. She shook her head and looked at him.

"After what he did to my mother, I can't let him do it to anyone else," she said. Rude nodded and called the number. Tifa closed her eyes at the horrible memories. It was bad enough that she lived through them night after night. She didn't want to live with them during the day.

Tifa appeared in the library a little while later. She looked around and saw Sephiroth standing right in front of her path. She looked up and he frowned down at her. She sighed. Big brother needed an explanation.

"Why were you down in the secret tunnels?" he asked her. She looked at him defiantly.

"I had to take care of a problem," she said. She started to walk around him, but he got in her way. She just sighed, knowing that she would have to answer him later anyways. She took a deep, calming breath in and looked him straight in the eye.

"The guy who calls himself the king rapes the maids," she said. She tensed and looked at him more boldly. "He waits for them to get settled into their routine and then he attacks. They get comfortable with the cleaning schedule. He waits in his room deliberately. He makes sure that he's there when they come into his room. He's raped at least four women this month alone."

"How do you know about this?" Sephiroth asked with a cold gleam in his eyes. Tifa felt one tear run down her cheek. She wiped it away and looked down.

"When you left that night, he found mom and me," she said. She looked up and tears started rolling down her cheeks. "He told one of the guards to hold me while he raped her. He laughed every time she struggled. Her cries became hoarse after he had her twice. He smiled in glee when she withered and moaned. When he was done, he had her tossed out of the palace. He told me that I had to work in the kitchens. The day I became eighteen… he would do the same to me…" she cried silently. Sephiroth looked at her and mentally calculated her age. She had been five when the attack had happened and it had been fifteen long years. He started seeing red. He looked down at her, the question in his eyes. She just nodded.

"I'm going to kill him," he said. He brought her into his hug and let her cry. He kept seeing red until Angeal came up to him. He looked at Angeal and let him see Tifa. Angeal nodded gently and extended his hand to Tifa.

"My name is Angeal," he said. Tifa nodded and smiled warmly at him. Sephiroth tensed up. She put one hand on his arm and extended her hand to Angeal.

"Thank you for taking care of my brother," she said graciously. Angeal only nodded.

"Angeal," Sephiroth said. Angeal immediately looked at him. "The puppy is going to watch her like a hawk. She doesn't get out of his sight once. If she does, I'll kill him myself." Angeal didn't even ask why. He just nodded and looked at Tifa.

"We will all protect the treasure that you've been longing to see for fifteen years," he said. Tifa looked at him confused. "Your brother let the story slip one night at a very small bar. It was the tenth anniversary of the demise and he got roaring drunk. Genesis and I were the ones to carry him home. Let's just say that you two have been through a lot. We are to help you both." He smiled and bowed to her. He went to find Zack.

Tifa looked at Sephiroth. She shook her head. He only nodded.

"I don't need protection," she said. He looked at her and shook his head.

"You are getting it, whether or not you want it," he said. "I am not letting you get harmed again. That bastard is going to pay for what he did to our family." Tifa started to protest. Sephiroth held up a hand. "You are my only family left. Do not let me loose you too." She stopped and looked at him. Suddenly, her eyes grew mischievous.

"I'm not the only family here," she said and smiled. Sephiroth looked at her. "Go down to the dungeons. They're still in the east wing. Go to the last cell. Say hi to him for me." She smiled and went back to work.

Sephiroth just stood there, taking everything she had told him in. He couldn't believe that she was still here and still serving everyone after all that she had been dealt with. She was truly an extraordinary young woman. She had seen hurt and yet overcome everything. He couldn't get over the fact that she had done everything without his help. She was just like their father in so many ways. She may look like their mother, but she was most surely their father's daughter.

And then, Sephiroth made his way down to the dungeons. He took the winding tunnel at the end of the east wing hallway. He smiled as he remembered his way down the tunnel. He and his friends had played tag down here and had all gotten lost one way or another. He smiled and made his way down to the last cell. Each cell had only one window for light. There were bars on them. The doors were long steel bars that were so close to prevent anyone from getting in or out. They could be brought down by a couple of explosives. Or better yet, acids would do the trick. They were silent and fast. A good combination when working for an escape route. He heard groans of the men locked away and then heard a very familiar voice.

"I wondered how long it would take you to come see me," a very deep voice resonated from within the last cell. Sephiroth paused and became straight as an arrow. He smiled as he saw his father for the first time in fifteen years. He had longer hair and was sporting a very long beard. He also looked fairly clean in his bright orange uniform. The old man put one eyebrow up and Sephiroth actually started to sweat.

"I'm guessing she told you, then?" he asked. He correctly assessed the look on his son's face and nodded. "Believe me, that's all I have thought about for the past year, eleven months, fifteen days and four hours."

"You've been counting?" Sephiroth said. His father spat at him. He looked furious. Sephiroth felt the same way. His father, though, was having a hard time containing his rage. Instead, he looked at his son and began observing the changes from the boy he knew to the man standing in front of him. He smiled at what he saw.

"Let me guess," he said. "The coat tells me that you came from the south. There's a strip on one of the flaps, so I'm guessing that you're a general. Very nice. The southern army did you justice, I take it. They only have four occupancies for generals, and I have a feeling that three of you are here. Hm. Do you think that that was wise?"

"How did you know all of that?" he asked his father. His father barked out a laugh.

"I was once a general, boy," he said. "I served the eastern army. It was before your mother and I married." He looked beyond his son and groaned. "What good that training has done for me. In here, there's nothing to do except think and plan." Sephiroth just looked at his father and nodded.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked. His father nodded. "Why did that night happen?"

"There was a bad argument in the council," he began. "My chancellor was against a bill that would decrease the taxes on the working class. He wanted tax breaks for the nobility. I was against it. The council was too. At least, some of them were. The others were conspiring to get your mother and I off the throne. They wanted all the power of running the kingdom. They needed someone who was power hungry to do that for them. They found him. He made the plans. Very thorough, if I might give him some credit. They took over in one shallow swoop. Everything was done less than an hour. If you want to pull something off, boy, you are going to have to plan." Sephiroth nodded and looked at his father. His father gave him one word of advice. "There are lower levels to this deep castle. If I were you, I would see what was down there. It might surprise you." He motioned for Sephiroth to go against the wall. Sephiroth nodded and pushed the loose brick in. It opened a passage way that led back up to the northern wing. His father winked at him. "I'll be waiting here."

Tifa dried her tears as she went back to the kitchen. She smiled Michael stepped back. She nodded and began cooking again. She sensed another presence behind her, but continued to ignore him until he spoke up.

"Why are you working in the kitchen?" Zack asked her. She didn't even turn around to answer him.

"I have to earn a living somehow," she said. He chuckled.

"I mean, you're royalty. You should be the one sleeping in the huge bed chambers, not cleaning them," he said. Tifa rolled her eyes.

"This coming from the true prince of the southern kingdom?" she asked. He paused and then looked at her back.

"How did you know about that?" he asked her. She laughed softly and turned her body to make eye contact for one brief moment.

"Royalty recognizes royalty," she said. "That's why no one knew that you were the prince. The chancellor could never tell anyways. He is too consumed with self pride and a quest for power that he can't handle himself." She scoffed and held back unshed tears. She looked down at her station and began working at a faster pace. Every time she became sad or depressed, she would channel it into her work. It got things done and it got her out of the situation that she could never be in unless she was truly idiotic. She suppressed everything. She didn't know how to deal with all the problems that had happened to her. It wasn't a bad way, but it was still keeping everything in.

"Hey," Zack's voice broke through her thoughts. "If you need to talk, I'm here." Tifa looked back at him and he smiled a genuine smile. She broke down right then and there. She went into his arms without thinking and started crying. He held her close and smiled as she wept.

"I'm right here," he said. She let all the sadness that she had held in for fifteen long years out. She kept crying and he just held her close. Kiara had come and had nodded to him. She had taken over Tifa's station and motioned for him to go to the back of the kitchen. He had brought them into the back and he had continued holding her. He held her until it was time to serve dinner. She looked up and shook her head. He shook his and held her closer, if that was at all possible.

"What's happening to me?" she asked him. He smiled against her neck. He then began to speak and she could hear the rumble of his voice in his chest.

"My mother used to say that I would know the love of my life when I met her," he said. "She said that the love of my life would drive me crazy to distraction and make me want to protect her without even knowing why. She said that I would fall for her instantly. I guess she was right." He brought his head up and looked her right in the eyes. "I'm sorry that it took me so long to get here." Tifa looked down and started crying all over again.

"I'm sorry," she said. He just laughed and kept her safe in his arms.

_**A/N: Well, well, well… that was certainly a good chapter, wasn't it? I just want you to know that the guy that is the bad guy in my head is very evil. I am going to have him gone in like two chapters. Thank God that Aerith was adopted. I guess I spilled the beans on that one. Don't worry, the dinner is coming up in the next chapter. Sephiroth is not going to remain still. Not when that… guy… is in the same room. Originally, I had the intention of having Tifa just protect the girls that were violated by the man, but it didn't work out like that. She will get him back though. That is definitely going to be a page long. Thank you for reading. If you want to leave a review, the button is down there calling you to press it.**_

_**Until next time**_

_**DarkBelieverAnge**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Chapter Three is ready to go!**_

Chapter Three

Tifa broke away from Zack's embrace and began working again. She wiped her tears and started cooking all over again. He looked at her confused and she turned around and handed him an apron.

"Are you going to help or not?" she asked him. He smiled and took the apron. He tied it behind his back and went to the stove. She instructed him to watch the soups and to make the garlic bread at the same time. She was working on the spaghetti sauce and the pasta as he was doing that. He looked around at the other stations and noticed that they were all working on a different dish. One station was working just on deserts. Another was working on the salads. They were hurrying to finish up. One station was working on the vegetables for the dinner meal. Another was working on meats. And so forth, until they got to Tifa's.

"You're doing two parts of the meal?" he asked. She shook her head.

"We all have our assignments," she said. "I'm good with bread. But I'm great with pasta." He nodded as she continued. "Each cook in here has their strengths. That's what they cook. Ricardo, the one who is handling the meats, says that the meat talks to him. Hannah, the one handling vegetables, says that she can tell just by the way the pot cackles when she cooks them if they're done or not. It's all about skill and who taught you to cook. I know my pasta because that's what I had to cook every night for four years. It's like how I know all about this castle. I've had to live here for the last five years." She stirred the pasta and cut more tomatoes up for the sauce. She had two huge pots for the pasta. She had two for the sauce. She was humming as she added different spices to the sauce. She would never use a measuring cup. She would go by instinct. She stopped humming when she saw Zack look at her. She smiled and began stirring all the pots.

"How'd you know that I was really the prince?" he asked. She stopped stirring and considered her answer.

"It's like how you know that Sephiroth is royalty. It's in the way that you hold yourself. Reno doesn't hold himself like you or Sephiroth. But, Sephiroth couldn't pose as the prince because he looks exactly like our father. He acts like our mother though," she laughed. "Mom was always protective of both of us. She always knew when we would both be hurting. Sephiroth made sure that nothing ever happened to me, though." She smiled as memories of playing tag with Sephiroth in the hidden gardens came into her mind. Their parents had made sure that she and Sephiroth would know exactly where the secret passages were. They had made sure that the kids knew the castle like the back of their hand by the time that they were five. She smiled at Zack.

"Our parents made sure that we knew everything about this castle. Mom made sure that we stayed away from the Chancellor and his adopted daughter," she said. She looked at Zack and smiled sadly. "That night was horrible. The night that the assassins came in and took over the castle in fifteen minutes flat. They were good, I had to give them that."

"Why do you remember that night?" Zack asked out of curiosity. Tifa sighed and looked at him sadly.

"Have you ever had a moment in your life when everything you knew about life changed at the top of a hat?" she asked. "It was as if my whole universe tilted within a heartbeat." She smiled and looked around at all of her cooking equipment. "I was found about two days after the takeover. My dress was torn. My whole face was dirty. The only thing I remember from those two days was running. My mother had told us if something had happened to just run. Don't look back. That was all she told us to do. I remember that she had been taken and… well, I'm not going to get into that. Let's just say I ran like hell for many miles. I didn't even think about it. I just ran. I couldn't look back. If I had, I would have fallen apart." She brought trays out and started putting the pasta in a strainer. She started humming to herself, completely blocking him out.

"Tifa! You got a package!" Michael called out. He came up behind her and handed her the package. She smiled and thanked him and opened it. There was a note and two brand-new leather gloves. She pondered on why they were sent to her until she read the note.

_Thought you were in need of a new pair. I know that you probably don't remember me, but everything's going to be alright. I'll see you soon. Fond affections, your teacher._

"Teacher of what?" Tifa wondered softly. Zack snorted. Tifa turned around and saw him laughing at the current newspaper near a potato sack.

Sephiroth stood and looked at the old garden. He cursed as he examined the conditions of the plants. They had been in top care when he had last seen them. Now, weeds were where delicate roses, lilies and other exotic flowers had once stood. The trees had not been trimmed at all for years. He looked and saw that the brick paths had dirt and rust forming around the edges. Everything looked as though it was ruined. He grimaced as he realized what had led to this.

"It's all like that," Kiara said from behind him. He turned and saw her touch one red rose. She smiled at him sadly. "After that night, he stopped caring for this garden. We touch it up every once in a while, but we're not professional gardeners. Your sister comes in here on her breaks and on her days off. That's why you see the rose section, way in the back, all done up. Tomorrow she's going to work on the tulips. She's so involved with that, she doesn't notice everyone else running around her preparing for the banquet tonight."

"She shouldn't be concerned, anyway," Sephiroth said. He looked at Kiara. "It was your job to make sure that nothing happened to her." She flushed and looked away.

"I couldn't help the fact that she was where she wasn't supposed to be," she said. "I have a kitchen to run, you know. I can't keep my eyes on her all the time." Sephiroth hardened his gaze, but didn't say anything. "She would have done her own thing, anyways. She's not like the rest of us. Her heritage shines through her demeanor, even if she doesn't want it too."

"She takes after our father like that," Sephiroth said. "He used to sneak out of the palace for a break. He needed his space; he always used to tell our mother. He would take the day off, and before lunch, he would come back saying that someone had recognized him. He would always laugh when my mother started yelling at him. He would just shake everything off and then go back to work."

After everything was prepared, Tifa looked around and saw Zack snoozing against a sack of potatoes. She gathered some food on a plate. The food wouldn't be missed because it was a part of the lunch that had been served. She smiled and then took the opportunity to sneak into one of the back rooms. She pressed one of the loose bricks into place and the inner wall opened. She went into the passage way. She went down a decline and pressed another brick. It opened to the dungeon. It was precisely in her father's cell. He smiled when he saw her come in. She gave him a plate of food that she had been carrying and he started gorging himself with food. When he was done, he smiled at her.

"What brings you here?" he asked. She looked at him and considered all the answers that she could give. She looked him directly in the eyes and told him.

"Sephiroth is here," she said. He nodded.

"He came to see me earlier," he said. She sighed. She looked at him. Her father had gotten buffer, if it was at all possible. Sephiroth was a skinny version of him.

"Dad, why is it that I look like mom, but act like you?" she asked without a thought. He smiled widely.

"You are who you are," he said. "You care about people too much. You hide your emotions from everyone you love, including me. You wear your scars on the inside, not on the outside. You are a woman of the people. The ruler of the people, even if you don't want to admit it. Everyone comes to you, whether you want them to or not. Every time you get a chance for a break, something else comes to your attention. You are the queen that everyone wants you to be, not the one who you desire to be. You are a true monarch without a throne. Your mother could never understand that."

"Dad, when are you going to tell me what really happened that night?" Tifa asked. His eyes gleamed, but he said nothing. He came over to her and hugged her.

"I love you, sweetheart," he said.

"Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore," she said. "I need to know why." He sighed and looked at her. He started to tell her, in his own words, what happened that fateful night.

_**A/N: That was intense. Anyways, I decided to have a cliffhanger, of sorts. If you're getting confused on the details, here's a short summary:**_

_**this country was taken over by the power hungry chancellor**_

_**the chancellor did bad things to the former queen**_

_**the prince escaped and trained in the southern kingdom**_

_**the princess was trained to become a cook, and was trained in something else too**_

_**the king's not really dead, neither are his generals. They're locked up in the basement.**_

_**there are hundreds of hidden passage ways**_

_**Zack is the real prince from the southern kingdom, Reno's the decoy**_

_**Tifa's got a mysterious teacher**_

_**and Rude works in HMO. (I just had to add that. It's a funny thought)**_

_**Until next time,**_

_**DarkBelieverAnge**_


	4. Chapter 4

Tifa sat down on the makeshift bed that her father had created while she watched him pace. He had backed out of telling her what happened that night, even if she deserved to know. He looked around and then at the gloves she had placed in her apron. He smiled and shook his head.

"You don't remember your teacher, do you?" he asked her. Tifa looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What teacher?" she asked him. "I don't remember being trained at all while I was still in the palace."

"That's because she didn't train you in the palace. She trained you when you were traveling with her. You just didn't know that you were getting trained." Tifa thought back to when she was traveling with the gypsies and gasped.

"Halima was teaching me?" she asked herself. Then she started remembering…

_She was thirteen. The camp was in the coastal region for the summer. Before Kiara ever thought of getting a job at the palace, Tifa lived with a gypsy by the name of Halima. Halima was a skilled fighter and cook, who was teaching Tifa everything she knew._

"_Tifa," she said one day while they were cooking over the fire. "You shouldn't burn that overmuch. Everything will be fine. It all works itself out." Tifa knew that she wasn't referring to the meat, but to something else, just nodded. Halima handed her some dough and threw her half on the fire. "If you rush something, it won't be complete… let it sit and come to you. Forcing something to work with your mind is not the way to regain memories. You know who you are, that is all that matters. Everything else can be in the wind. Knowing who you are is the key to solving everything."_

_When Tifa had escaped the palace, she had wiped her memory clean to forget the trauma that had occurred. Halima had worked with her for five years before Tifa knew who she really was. Halima had grinned and shaken her head when Tifa had finally told her who she was._

"_I thought that was right," she had told Tifa. "You act like your father did." Tifa never asked where Halima came from, or what her past was, but she always had a feeling that it wasn't something pleasant. Halima carried around a mysterious aura that was dark. She was all smiles and laughs, but it seemed like she held the world's weight on her shoulders. The woman knew how to avoid talking about it perfectly. She would bring up another subject casually and carelessly, just to avoid the topic that was at hand. _

_One night, before Tifa was leaving the camp, Halima had brought her aside and told her something._

"_The secret throne room won't come alive unless descendants of the original four are there to bear witness," she whispered. She handed Tifa a set of gloves and smiled. "I have to get going. There is much to be done before you turn of age." She smiled and looked up at the full moon. "So much to do, so little time…" _

Tifa blinked as the memories started connecting. She looked at her father and gasped.

"The stories make sense…" she mumbled then spoke up. "When you used to tell me the stories about the founders of the four nations, were there any women?"

"The founder of the eastern region was a woman. She had long black hair and piercing blue eyes," he said and Tifa nodded at him. Halima fit that description.

"She didn't fight with any weapons but her own body, right?" she asked him. Her father nodded and Tifa grinned.

"This was never about our family, was it?" she asked her father. "This whole rebellion has been placed on the legend of the founders, hasn't it?"

"Yes," he admitted. "Your mother and I were supposedly the two who had all the secrets for the founders. It was said that the founders were all immortal, and that one day, one would take an apprentice. The founder would teach their apprentice all that they knew and all that they had learned throughout their lifetime. That apprentice would go back to the palace of the origin and correct all the wrongs that had been committed." Tifa nodded and looked at the far wall in her father's cell. She looked up toward the ceiling and finally at him.

"I have to go," she said. "I'm expected back in the kitchen."

She rushed off, and her father only grinned at what she had just connected. She was the only one who could right the past wrongs, including his own. She just didn't know how far everyone's treachery went, including his own. All the old rulers had a sin to admit to, especially the southern king.

_**A/N: It's short this time, but I promise that when I have time, I'll sit down and actually divulge my whole brain instead of half of my brain. **_

_**Thank you to all the readers that have waited for this update for a long time. I'm so sorry that it has taken me so long, but everything just caved in at once. It won't be months until I update this again, but it will be about three weeks. I promise, once my semester at college is done, I'll settle down and have a date with the computer. Good times are ahead with that.**_

_**Until next time, DarkBelieverAnge. **_


	5. Chapter 5

The ball came on with a rush. Tifa had spent the better part of her afternoon in the kitchen preparing food. Zack was always near her, always ready to be of service to her. She would smile at him every time that he made an effort, but she would always shake her head. When the food was being departed for the supper meal, she finally turned and looked at him.

"Why don't you make a grand entrance and proclaim who you really are?" she asked him teasingly. He smiled and came up behind her. He put his arms around her and put his head on her shoulder.

"Only if you want to come with me," he whispered. She turned around and looked at him. She smiled softly at his tender expression. "All I want from this world is you. I've fallen hard and fast for you, but I know that it was meant to be." Tifa nodded quickly and he smiled once again. "You will me my wife, won't you?" she nodded and he kissed her quietly.

"Nothing else matters," she said to him. Then she turned when she saw his face harden. When she looked around, she saw half of the palace guard there, along with the captain of the guard, Cloud. Cloud looked sad, but nonetheless willing to carry out orders. He sighed and then said what he had to say.

"Tifa Lockhart, you are under arrest by command of his royal highness, King Henry," Cloud said. Tifa's gaze hardened but she went. Zack tried to stop her, but she put her hand up.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," she said. She smiled again. "It's a feeling I have." Zack looked exasperated, but he nodded. She was led down to the dungeons. She was shoved into her father's cell. She looked up at him and he helped her up. She frowned at his mischievous expression.

"Ready for a revolution?" he asked her. She sighed and put on her new gloves. She stretched her hands and nodded. Her father grinned and whooped. "Boys, we're ready to roll." There was a unanimous yell and all the cell doors opened. Her father strode forward like the warrior he was once known to be and smiled fearlessly. "It's time to take our home back!" the men strode forward and took their weapons. Her father took his long sword and sheathed it.

"General Maxwell, sir, what do we do?" one of the guards asked. Her father smiled and looked at all of the guard in the room.

"You are all loyal subjects of this kingdom who are fed up with tyrant who rules," he began. "It is time that the future generation took the throne. My daughter and her betrothed are destined to sit on the throne this night!"

"No, Maxwell, they are not," a female voice said from the entrance. A woman descended the stairs into the dungeon. She had long black hair and glowing amber eyes. Her skin was tan, and her ears were pointed. She looked at Maxwell when she entered the room. He paled and then bowed his head slightly.

"Milady," he said. She looked at Tifa smiled at her.

"Hello, Tifa," she said. Tifa smiled.

"Hello, Halima," she said. Halima nodded and reverted to looking at Maxwell again.

"There is going to be a revolution, but this castle is going to be shut down. There is too much misery that has happened in this place to be used anymore. The old ways are done, Maxwell. We are all that are left of who once ruled," she told him and looked at Tifa. "She has been raised properly. Her brother will be a good general to her. She needs to leave and become who she is meant to be." Halima looked at the men willing to fight. "You will invade the palace ball room. Make sure that all exits are covered. No one gets in or out, you got that?" they all nodded and she looked at Tifa and Maxwell. "You two come with me." They went up the stairs, the soldiers following them. On their way, Sephiroth met up with them. Zack came and stayed by Tifa's side. The royal family was about to take over their home one last time.

The ball was underway. Aerith was being forced to dance with lord after lord, just to make sure that all was well within the council for her father. She hated being a diplomat. All she wanted to do was go to a garden and stay there all day long. There was a sudden burst from the main door, and then six figures strode into the ballroom. The old man that she was dancing with froze and started smiling broadly. He let her go and bowed a deep bow. Some of the other lords did that as well, and some just looked scared. Aerith turned to where her father was and saw his face had gone completely white. She looked at the five figures coming forward. There was Tifa and the three representatives from the Southern country. There was an older man who looked exactly like one of those representatives and there was a woman with long black hair and amber eyes.

"Henry," the older man roared. "Your time has come. You are stepping down from the throne that does not belong to you." The woman with long black hair strode forward and went through the crowd. She stopped at the spot where the fourth chair from the original owners were and touched the top. The jewel glowed and a sword emerged from it. She smiled and waved it to face Henry. Her words were heard throughout the hall.

"You meek jester," she spat. "You thought you could destroy everything we had worked for, everything that the founders made possible. You make me sick. You are a rat drenched with disease!"

"SO WHAT?" Henry roared. "You four never finished your job! You wanted peace, not war! War is the only way to live! War is…" he never finished because he felt her sword at his throat. She smiled at him evilly and looked around. She wove a hand and everything froze. Maxwell was still able to move, and Henry, but that was it. Halima looked at Maxwell and he nodded. Henry was getting paler by the minute.

"Maxwell and I are the only original founders left," she said. "These people need us to go, Henry. I will make you suffer, don't doubt it. You disgraced yourself and now you will pay for it. You will not be allowed to do anything for a very long time."

Maxwell moved his hand and his two children unfroze.

"What is this?" Tifa yelled at them. Sephiroth was braced for any type of attack. Maxwell smiled at them sadly. He went down to them and looked at them sadly.

"My time has come," he said. "It is your time to rule. The four descendants are here. Sephiroth, you will claim the throne of the east. Kiara will take the throne of the west. Zack will take the southern throne. And Tifa, you will take the throne of the north. You four will finally allow us to rest. Our spirits are tired. Our men will treat you well. They will guard you until their lives end."

"Get away from this place once you are done," Halima said. "The secrets of this place will stay a secret forever more. It is time that the old ways were retired. The both of you will retire to the southern kingdom. Tifa, you will make a terrific queen."

"Sephiroth, you will be head of the southern armies. Angeal will help you as he always has. Be happy, both of you. Live in peace," Maxwell said. Henry started wailing as he dragged him away. Halima looked back and smiled at the two. Maxwell walked to the back wall and walked through a door made of light. Halima followed him. Time unfroze.

There were screams heard. Tifa looked at Sephiroth. He nodded. She went back and grabbed Zack and ran up to their thrones. Kiara came to stand by Sephiroth and they all looked at each other.

"Once we do this, there's no turning back," Kiara warned them. Tifa smiled and Zack shrugged. They all joined hands and raised them to the crowd. Everyone quickly quieted down to see or hear what was going to happen.

"The descendants of the four have been reunited. The families have been made whole once again, and none shall argue with that," Kiara started. "The winds of the west are now at rest." She looked to Sephiroth.

"The seas of the east once roared in triumph," he said. "Now they calm and are tranquil. The families would have it as such." It was Zack's turn.

"The deserts of the south blaze with the bright sun," Zack stated. "The secrets that were once known are now lost within the sands of time. So as the families decreed."

"The plains of the north, which were once barren, are now able to bear fruit," Tifa said. "The time of war has come to an end. Peace will reign for this age." The four thrones disappeared from the sight of man forever.

"Now, the ways of old are over. The countries will go and live in peace," Angeal's voice rang out throughout the ballroom. A loud cheer went out.

**One Year Later…**

Tifa laughed as Zack brought her a huge bouquet of flowers. She smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He grinned and sat down on the bench that she was sitting on. She looked around her. Her brother was in the vegetable garden with her six month old daughter. He was determined to make her daughter love him more than Zack. It was kind of funny really, the connection that Sephiroth had with her daughter. He was more protective of her than Zack was.

Kiara had settled in the kitchens. After the whole debacle happened, she had sighed and had looked at Zack and Tifa. "Can I have a job in your kitchens?" was all that she had asked. She remained there ever since.

Sephiroth became general of all the generals of the army. He would make sure that if there was a conflict that it would be handled without blood being lost at all. He had started dating a woman who was a little older than him, but had broken it off when she had told him that she wasn't interested in marriage.

Life was good, though. There were good times and bad times, but most of the time there was always laughing to be heard. They were living in peace, just like their founders wanted them to live.

_**A/N: Very anticlimactic, believe me, I know. This story was originally planned to be very long, but… the thoughts in my head just didn't want to come out. So, I decided to drop it like a bad habit, but give the story an ending. If the details don't add up, tell me and I'll edit some of the chapters in order to make that happen. Sorry for those who really wanted this to evolve into something huge and extravagant. But the good thing is, I'm going to finally get going on some other stories. The next story that is going to be concluded is **__**Hidden Love**__** so that'll be out of the way. I love that story. It's actually one of my longer ones.**_

_**Thank you for reading and until next time,**_

_**DarkBelieverAnge**_


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